The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic
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Only Orthodox Church with Sacramental Authority
We are the original "American Orthodox Catholic Church" that was canonically established Feb. 2, 1927 and incorporated Feb. 1, 1928 by Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh, Archbishop and corporate president.
According to the New York World newspaper, Oct. 1, 1932, regarding the Article published regarding our Holy Synod and Council of Bishops;
Under the ancient Canon Law, enacted by the Council of Calchedon in 453 A.D., this (Church) can be the only lawful Orthodox authority or jurisdiction in America.
North American Holy Synod Today
Synod President
Archbishop Victor,
Retired Fmr. Metropolitan
Bishop Joseph
Andrew, Chorepiscopus
Diocese of Michigan
[Successor of Abp. Robert Zieger]
Archbishop James
Please note: We do not recognize any ecclesiastical act by any bishop of this Church that was done on their own and without mandate from the North American Holy Synod. There are some in the independent movement who improperly claim their lines trace back to us. These acts were done contrary to the Canons and traditions of Orthodoxy.
The Church needs to grow. We have room to set up a mobile home or camper trailer and may have a room or apartment available at a reduced rate (to help cover the utilities) for the right individual. If your tired of the cold northern winters consider west texas. We need a fund raiser to come in and help us find a building for a chapel.
We feel we have a bright future ahead even if it means being a monastic Church for a few years while we re-establish our dioceses acoss the country. We have lost a few good clergy to illness and two bishops reposed. Another has pressing secular business matters to handle for the sake of his family. Our growth has been slow but we feel that our good name will be cleared shortly after a defamation problem.
We seek good clergy interested in a ministry with a canonically established Orthodox Church. If you are interested in a ministry with the first canonically established Orthodox Church in North America please contact us at info@theocacna.org
THE HOLY EASTERN ORTHODOX CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA ® was established Feb. 2, 1927 by the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America, and incorporated on Feb. 1, 1928 by Archbishop Aftimios Ofiesh, first Primate of the church, and 7 others. We were established as the first autocephalous, canonical, orthodox church in the new world to serve the english speaking orthodox community. This church and the original corporation continues today.
Please see our listing in the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches and the Handbook of Denominations.
Due to the questionable validity of the many independent churches and clergy and their lines we briefly try to help those in doubt by stating this: Ask a valid ethnic orthodox clergyman when in doubt. They may claim theirs in one of the few valid churches so ask a clergyman from a couple different churches if you are confused. You can obtain names and addresses of the main stream (ethnic) orthodox churches in "The Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches" and "The Handbook of Denominations" both available from Cokesbury, Nashville, TN. or your local religious (book) store. Another good book is Orthodoxia when it comes to information about the canonical orthodox.
® Our (corporate) name and Logo are Registered with the U.S. Patent Trademark Office. It is not required to be registered to claim (with"sm") a service mark.
Our Domain: http://www.theocacna.us
The North American Holy Synod has proclaimed Archbishop Ofiesh, of blessed memory, a Martyr for the faith.
We have professed our Filial devotion and loyalty to the Patriarch of Moscow and the Synod. Due to their being party to the Schism in American Othodoxy we can no longer be associated with any of the uncanonical orthodox jurisdictions.
Please visit http://www.theocacna.org and read about the Schism in American Orthodoxy.
We invite Orthodox, Catholic and Anglican clergy and laity who desire a new home to contact us.
Society and Synod
The Society of Clerks Secular of Saint Basil ® was established in 1931 in this church. Members of the society later left our Church and entered the Antiochian church and continued to use our name. A group later left the Antiochian church and entered the independent movement using the same name but they are not the original society as some try to claim. The original society continues today within this Church.
We offer a relic cloth of St. Basil the Great on request with a SASE.
The North American Holy Synod [sm] is the original name of our synod which continues today. There are some independent clergy claiming to be orthodox who use our name or a similar name to mislead the public. Some also falsely claim that the 1927 Charter was issued to the... but if you read the Charter it clearly shows it was issued to us by church name and we are the same corporate church that Abp. Ofiesh of blessed memory helped establish, incorporate and headed as corporate president. Those who claim they had authority to change our name only claim this to make their self-started church appear to be a canonically established Church (which we are).
LEGAL NOTICE: Our names "THE HOLY EASTERN ORTHODOX CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA" ® and "THE SOCIETY OF CLERKS SECULAR OF SAINT BASIL" ® are Registered Service Marks of this Church. The short name "AMERICAN ORTHODOX CATHOLIC CHURCH" sm and THEOCACNA sm are claimed Service Marks of this Church.
The North American Holy Synod of The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America has declared this Church to be the American Orthodox Patriarchate as of the 6th day of July, 2003.
We are the canonically established Orthodox Church for the English speaking American Orthodox population in the new world.
We were canonically established as an autocephalous and autonomous Orthodox Church by the Russian Synod of Bishops in North America (Moscow Patriarchate) Feb. 2, 1927 and Incorporated Feb. 1, 1928.
Archbishop Ofiesh was the first Archbishop of this Church and the highest ranking Bishop of this Church with the title of Archbishop President. The successor of Abp. Ofiesh has been using the title of Patriarch since the Synod declared this Church the American Orthodox Patriarchate.
Our short name in the 1927 constitution is "American Orthodox Catholic Church". The intent of the Synod who chartered us was to establish an American Orthodox Church, and that is exactly what we are.
We will continue to use our original name which is a service mark of this Church.
The Orthodox Catholic Patriarchate of America (Inc. 1951) . Originally headed by Abp. Joseph Klimovich, and Abp. Clement Sherwood meged with us and have changed their name to ours.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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